Category: Golf

• Reigning champion reveals elk helped fuel 2025 win

• Champ, a traditional Northern Irish side, is an accompaniment

Elk as the key to Masters success: who had any i-deer? Rory McIlroy will serve starters made from the meat of the North American animal at Augusta National next month in tribute to his food of choice before winning the Masters last year.

The wine McIlroy drank to toast victory, food that conjures ­memories of his childhood in Belfast and a dish made by his mother, Rosie, also ­feature in the ­Masters ­champion’s dinner for 2026. In a nod to the venue’s attention to detail, McIlroy revealed that chefs from Augusta made a special visit to a New York restaurant to replicate his favourite tuna recipe.

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• Reigning champion reveals elk helped fuel 2025 win

• Champ, a traditional Northern Irish side, is an accompaniment

Elk as the key to Masters success: who had any i-deer? Rory McIlroy will serve starters made from the meat of the North American animal at Augusta National next month in tribute to his food of choice before winning the Masters last year.

The wine McIlroy drank to toast victory, food that conjures ­memories of his childhood in Belfast and a dish made by his mother, Rosie, also ­feature in the ­Masters ­champion’s dinner for 2026. In a nod to the venue’s attention to detail, McIlroy revealed that chefs from Augusta made a special visit to a New York restaurant to replicate his favourite tuna recipe.

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• ‘We’ll see how I feel in practice,’ says world No 2

• McIlroy hampered by back injury before Players Championship

Rory McIlroy will weigh up whether to play another event before the defence of his Masters title next month after an underwhelming outing at the Players Championship. He was the defending champion at TPC Sawgrass, but his preparation was hampered by a back injury and he finished in a disappointing tie for 46th on Sunday.

“I’ll see how my body feels,” said the world No 2. “We’ll see how I feel in practice and at home and if I get itchy feet at home maybe add an event at some point.

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• Police find suspect after incident near course

• Third round began on time despite delays

Police have captured a man who they say killed two people on Friday night about a mile from TPC Sawgrass. The incident led the Players Championship to delay opening the gates to the public for the third round by a couple of hours.

The St Johns County sheriff, Rob Hardwick, said the suspect, whom he identified as Christian Barrios, shot two people multiple times about 10:30pm on Friday in the parking lot of Walgreens in a domestic violence situation. The store is located about a mile away from the course.

This report will update

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• Spaniard accuses DP World Tour of ‘extorting’ players

• ‘I don’t know what game they’re trying to play right now’

Jon Rahm’s dispute with the DP World Tour has escalated after the Spaniard accused the organisation of “extorting” golfers over fines for competing on the LIV circuit. Rahm’s Ryder Cup future remains in peril with no resolution to the matter in sight, with insiders at the DP World Tour and Europe’s Ryder Cup fans baffled by his stance.

Rahm incurred fines and suspensions as a DP World, formerly European, Tour member playing on what are regarded as competing Saudi-backed LIV events. Rahm signed for LIV in 2023 in a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

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• Italian reportedly fell three floors in South Africa

• Golfer ‘in good spirits’ according to his former coach

Italian golfer Andrea Pavan is “thankful to be alive” after reportedly falling three floors down a lift shaft.

The 36-year-old, a two-time European Tour winner, was scheduled to be playing in this week’s South African Open Championship at Stellenbosch Golf Club but was forced to withdraw after the incident on Wednesday.

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• LIV rebel rejects European Tour Group’s offer

• Tyrrell Hatton has settled over seven-figure fine

Jon Rahm’s Ryder Cup future is in serious doubt after the Spaniard failed to join his teammate Tyrrell Hatton in settling a dispute over a seven-figure fine with the European Tour Group over participation in LIV Golf.

Hatton is one of eight golfers who have agreed to settle all outstanding fines due in Europe and withdraw any appeals in return for releases to play on LIV tournaments in 2026. Luke Donald, who is expected to remain in office for a third stint as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, wanted the situation with Hatton and Rahm resolved. Donald has only partly got his wish, with Adare Manor in 2027 looming ever closer.

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• ‘I’m trying to figure out if I can actually do this’

• Woods says he could play in this year’s Masters

Tiger Woods has confirmed he has been asked to captain the USA team at the Ryder Cup next year. Woods, who has not played competitively since the 2024 Open Championship, has also somewhat remarkably left the door open to teeing up in the Masters this year.

With the USA still reeling from defeat by Europe at Bethpage in September, thoughts have turned towards attempts to reclaim the Ryder Cup in Ireland. Woods is the PGA of America’s first choice as captain. The 50-year-old will determine whether he believes he can commit sufficiently to the role.

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• Doherty removed over incident at tournament

• 22-year-old has subscriber count of nearly 30 million

• Source confirms streamer’s ban from future events

A controversial livestreamer has been barred from attending PGA Tour events indefinitely after being removed from the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a person familiar with the matter told the Guardian, though the tour has declined to publicly confirm any specific disciplinary action.

Security and law enforcement removed Jack Doherty from the tournament grounds on Friday after he appeared to pay a spectator to shout during a player’s pre-shot routine, according to videos circulating online and accounts of the incident.

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• Ranking points to be awarded at LIV events for first time

• Saudi-backed tour attacks ‘unprecedented restriction’

The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Tour has hit out at what it regards as victimisation from those presiding over the sport’s world rankings process, despite seeing their wait of nearly four years for recognition by the system finally end.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that those competing in LIV tournaments will receive official world golf ranking points but only when finishing in the top 10. A statement from the OWGR board said this “recognises there are a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set out”.

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• Rose wins Farmers Insurance Open with 72-hole record

• Total of 265 pips Woods’s 1999 mark by one

Justin Rose became the first wire-to-wire winner at Torrey Pines in 71 years, starting with a six-shot lead and never letting anyone get any closer to him Sunday as he closed with a two-under 70 to win the Farmers Insurance Open.

Rose opened with a 62 on the North course and never let up, playing even better on the South course that has hosted two US Opens. He broke the 72-hole tournament record at 23-under, 265, one better than Tiger Woods in 1999. George Burns also shot 266 in 1987. “Sorry, T-dub, if you’re watching,” Rose said.

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Despite an estimated outlay of $6bn since 2022, LIV appears to be far away from establishing itself in the the manner of PIF projects in other sports

In one sense, it is difficult to detect anything warm and cuddly in all of this. Elite golfers, who were already obscenely rich, take the bounty on offer from a Saudi Arabian-backed disruption model before shuffling back whence they came – essentially for a trivial penalty – when the novelty wears off. This is hardly sport at its purest. Instead, an admission by Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed that they blundered in believing the fairways were greener on the LIV side. The PGA Tour, desperate to portray itself as the big boy in the playground, welcomes one-time pariahs back with open arms. Other golfers who spurned LIV’s fluttering eyelashes scratch their heads, wondering why they bothered.

There is, however, an underlying and endearing point. All the petroleum pounds in the world are no substitute for legacy. Trying to match the achievements of Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy carries significance. LIV golf has no relevance beyond its own domain. Saudi Arabia has made inroads into various sports but, in golf, the kingdom is unquestionably doomed. LIV is on the road towards oblivion, far earlier than most had anticipated. Only those who will gain financially from its continuation can try to spin an alternative story.

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• American becomes latest major winner to exit

• 2018 Masters champion will be eligible for PGA Tour

Patrick Reed has delivered the latest high-profile blow to LIV Golf by announcing he will leave the circuit before the start of its 2026 season.

The 35-year-old American former Masters champion joins Brooks Koepka by instead focusing on the PGA Tour. Reed will spend his immediate time on the DP World Tour, where he won the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. Reed tees up in Bahrain from Thursday.

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• Life-size statue disappears in golf legend’s hometown

• ‘Everything indicates that it was a theft,’ says council

Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into the disappearance of a statue commemorating Seve Ballesteros from his hometown of Pedrena, near Santander in northern Spain’s Cantabria region.

The Marina de Cudeyo Town Council confirmed the incident on Sunday through their social media accounts, describing the disappearance as “an unfortunate event” and suggesting foul play. “Everything indicates that it was a theft,” the council stated.

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